Substrate interactions during anaerobic biodegradation of BTEX by the mixed cultures under nitrate reducing conditions

The enriched BTEX-degrading bacteria were used to investigate the substrate interactions during anaerobic biodegradation of all the possible BTEX binary combinations. Beneficial and detrimental substrate interactions were observed in comprehensive mixtures of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, o-xylene, m-xylene and p-xylene. The amendment of toluene or ethylbenzene could stimulate benzene degradation. Lower concentrations of m-xylene would enhance the degradation of benzene, whereas degradation of benzene was inhibited with higher concentrations of m-xylene. The simultaneous presence of toluene and ethylbenzene could stimulate the degradation of each other. The addition of toluene stimulated o-xylene degradation, whereas the amendment of ethylbenzene inhibited the degradation of o-xylene. Lower concentrations of toluene or ethylbenzene would enhance the degradation of m-xylene and p-xylene, whereas higher concentrations of toluene or ethylbenzene had a slight inhibitory effect on m-xylene and p-xylene degradation. The amendment of benzene, m-xylene or p-xylene would inhibit the degradation of other BTEX compounds. When the concentration of BTEX mixtures was over 150mg/l, the degradation of benzene, o-xylene, m-xylene and p-xylene was severely inhibited.     

Anaerobic BTEX biodegradation linked to nitrate and sulfate reduction

Effective anaerobic BTEX biodegradation was obtained under nitrate and sulfate reducing conditions by the mixed bacterial consortium that were enriched from gasoline contaminated soil. Under the conditions of using nitrate or sulfate as reducing acceptor, the degradation rates of the six tested substrates decreased with toluene>ethylbenzene>m-xylene>o-xylene>benzene>p-xylene. The higher concentrations of BTEX were toxic to the mixed cultures and led to reduce the degradation rates of BTEX. Benzene and p-xylene were more toxic than toluene and ethylbenzene. Nitrate was a more favorable electron acceptor compared to sulfate. The measured ratios between the amount of nitrate consumed and the amount of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, o-xylene, m-xylene, p-xylene degraded were 9.47, 9.26, 11.14, 12.46, 13.36 and 13.02, respectively. The measured ratios between sulfate reduction and BTEX degradation were 3.51, 4.33, 4.89, 4.81, 4.86 and 4.76, respectively, which were nearly the same to theoretical ones, and the relative error between the measured and calculated ratios was less than 10%.     

Influence of ethanol-gasoline blended fuel on emission characteristics from a four-stroke motorcycle engine

Emission characteristics from a four-stroke motorcycle engine using 10% (v/v) ethanol-gasoline blended fuel (E10) were investigated at different driving modes on the chassis dynamometers. The results indicate that CO and HC emissions in the engine exhaust are lower with the operation of E10 as compared to the use of unleaded gasoline, whereas the effect of ethanol on NO(X) emission is not significant. Furthermore, species of both unburned hydrocarbons and their ramifications were analyzed by the combination of gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and gas chromatography/flame ionization detection (GC/FID). This analysis shows that aromatic compounds (benzene, toluene, xylene isomers (o-xylene, m-xylene and p-xylene), ethyltoluene isomers (o-ethyltoluene, m-ethyltoluene and p-ethyltoluene) and trimethylbenzene isomers (1,2,3-trimethylbenzene, 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene and 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene)) and fatty group ones (ethylene, methane, acetaldehyde, ethanol, butene, pentane and hexane) are major compounds in motorcycle engine exhaust. It is found that the E10-fueled motorcycle engine produces more ethylene, acetaldehyde and ethanol emissions than unleaded gasoline engine does. The no significant reduction of aromatics is observed in the case of ethanol-gasoline blended fuel. The ethanol-gasoline blended fuel can somewhat improve emissions of the rest species.     

Detection of the gasoline components methyl tert-butyl ether,benzene, toluene,and m-xylene using ion mobility spectrometers with a radioactive and UV ionization source

For the first time, ion mobility spectrometers (IMS) with radioactive and UV ionization sources in combination with multicapillary columns (MCCs) have been used to determine methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE), a gasoline additive, in water and nitrogen as well as the monoaromatic compounds benzene, toluene, and m-xylene (BTX). A membrane extraction unit was set up to extract the substances from water, which is simple, effective, and easy to automate for further applications. Thus, the detection of MTBE and BTX of gasoline vapors was accomplished after a preliminary silicone membrane extraction. Two-dimensional data analyses of IMS-chromatograms allow us to separate these substances clearly according to their different retention and drift times. Method detection limits for MTBE were 2 microg/L (UV) and 30 pg/L (63Ni) in nitrogen and 20 mg/L (UV) and 1 microg/L (63Ni) in water. Rather a good reproducibility was achieved with relative standard deviations of between 2.9 and 9%. The method presented in this article has been proven to be suitable for nearly real-time monitoring as the total analysis time is less than 90 s. As an example of application, the detection of MTBE and BTX in a mixture of volatile organic compounds of pure gasoline using the 2-D IMS-chromatogram is presented.     

Performance of a reactor containing denitrifying immobilized biomass in removing ethanol and aromatic hydrocarbons (BTEX) in a short operating period

A horizontal-flow anaerobic immobilized biomass reactor (HAIB) containing denitrifying biomass was evaluated with respect to its ability to remove, separately and in a short operating period (30 days), organic matter, nitrate, and the hydrocarbons benzene (41.4 mg L-1), toluene (27.8 mg L-1), ethylbenzene (31.1 mg L-1), o-xylene (28.5 mg L-1), m-xylene (28.4 mg L-1) and p-xylene (32.1 mg L-1). The purified culture, which was grown in the presence of the specific hydrocarbon, was used as the source of cells to be immobilized in the polyurethane foam. After 30 days of operation, the foam was removed and a new immobilized biomass was grown in the presence of another hydrocarbon. The average hydrocarbon removal efficiency attained was 97%. The organic matter, especially ethanol, was removed with an average efficiency of 83% at a mean influent concentration of 1185.0 mg L-1. A concomitant removal of 97% of nitrate was observed for a mean influent concentration of 423.4 mg L-1. The independent removal of each hydrocarbon demonstrated that these contaminants can be biodegraded separately, without the need for a compound to be the primary substrate for the degradation of another. This study proposes the application of the system for treatment of areas contaminated with these compounds, with substitution and formation of a biofilm in a 30-day period.     

Retention behavior of phenols, anilines, and alkylbenzenes in liquid chromatographic separations using subcritical water as the mobile phase

The unique characteristic of subcritical water is its widely tunable physical properties. For example, the polarity (measured by dielectric constant) of water is significantly decreased by raising water temperature. At temperatures of 200-250 °C (under moderate pressure to keep water in the liquid state), the polarity of pure water is similar to that of pure methanol or acetonitrile at ambient conditions. Therefore, pure subcritical water may be able to serve as the mobile phase for reversed-phase separations. To investigate the retention behavior in subcritical water separation, the retention factors of BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and m-xylene), phenol, aniline, and their derivatives have been determined using subcritical water, methanol/water, and acetonitrile/water systems. Subcritical water separations were also performed using alumina, silica-bonded C18, and poly(styrene-divinylbenzene) columns to study the influence of the stationary phase on analyte retention under subcritical water conditions.     

Thermal desorption solid-phase microextraction inlet for differential mobility spectrometry

A splitless thermal desorber unit that interfaces a differential mobility spectrometry (DMS) sensor has been devised. This device was characterized by the detection of benzene, toluene, and xylene (BTX) in water. The detection of BTX in water is important for environmental monitoring, and ion mobility measurements are traditionally difficult for hydrocarbons in water because water competes for charge and quenches the hydrocarbon signals. This paper reports the use of a DMS with a photoionization source that is directly coupled to a solid-phase microextraction (SPME) desorber. The separation and detection capabilities of the DMS were demonstrated using BTX components. Detection limits for benzene, toluene, and m-xylene were 75, 50, and 5 microg mL(-1), respectively.     

Detection and classification characteristics of arrays of carbon black/organic polymer composite chemiresistive vapor detectors for the nerve agent simulants dimethylmethylphosphonate and diisopropylmethylphosponate

Arrays of conducting polymer composite vapor detectors have been evaluated for performance in the presence of the nerve agent simulants dimethylmethylphosphonate (DMMP) and diisopropylmethylphosponate (DIMP). Limits of detection for DMMP on unoptimized carbon black/ organic polymer composite vapor detectors in laboratory air were estimated to be 0.047-0.24 mg m(-3). These values are lower than the EC50 value (where EC50 is the airborne concentration sufficient to induce severe effects in 50% of those exposed for 30 min) for the nerve agents sarin (methylphosphonofluoridic acid, 1-methylethyl ester) and soman (methylphosphonofluoridic acid, 1,2,2-trimethylpropyl ester), which has been established as approximately 0.8 mg m(-3). Arrays of these vapor detectors were easily able to resolve signatures due to exposures to DMMP from those due to DIMP or due to a variety of other test analytes (including water, methanol, benzene, toluene, diesel fuel, lighter fluid, vinegar, and tetrahydrofuran) in a laboratory air background. In addition, DMMP at 27 mg m(-3) could be detected and differentiated from the signatures of the other test analytes in the presence of backgrounds of potential interferences, including water, methanol, benzene, toluene, diesel fuel, lighter fluid, vinegar, and tetrahydrofuran, even when these interferents were present in much higher concentrations than that of the DMMP or DIMP being detected.     

Performance of BTX degraders under substrate versatility conditions

A microbial consortium acclimatized with benzene, toluene or xylene (BTX) was employed to study the degradation pattern of these compounds individually under aerobic conditions. Batch and continuous experiments were conducted to evaluate the adaptability of the enriched cultures under substrate versatility conditions. The bio-kinetic parameters obtained under substrate versatility conditions were compared with those of a single substrate condition. Similar degradation patterns were observed for all the substrates with inhibition occurring at higher concentration (approximately 150 mg/L for benzene and xylene, and approximately 200 mg/L for toluene). Toluene degradation was highest, followed by benzene and xylene in the aqueous phase. Adaptation to a more toxic compound like benzene and xylene improved the utilization of toluene. On the other hand, microbes grown on a less toxic compound (toluene) grew at a lower rate in the presence of more toxic compounds. Suitable kinetic parameters such as micro(max) (maximum specific growth rate per hour), Ks (half saturation constant, mg/L), and KI (threshold substrate inhibition constant, mg/L) were determined using Haldane and Levenspiel substrate inhibition models. The Haldane equation seems to be an adequate expression for the system. The degradation behavior of pollutants in the gas phase was also evaluated using a toluene acclimatized biotrickling filter operated in continuous mode. The biotrickling filter acclimatized with toluene could degrade benzene and xylene with a lower elimination capacity. But, the system could recover its original efficiency quite fast even after a prolonged shock loading. The degradation was better for toluene, followed by benzene and xylene.     

Dual-axis thermal convective inclinometer based on CNT/PDMS composite

This paper presents the design, fabrication, and characterization of a novel inclination-angle sensor (inclinometer) using heating and sensing elements based on conductive polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) composited with carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The inclinometer consists of a PDMS cube-shaped chamber, a CNTs/PDMS composite-based heater, and four CNTs/PDMS composite-based temperature sensors. The working mechanism of this sensor is based on thermal convective sensing theory on the basis of the detection of thermal disturbance caused by inclination-induced convection in a sealed chamber. In order to prepare the conductive CNTs/PDMS composite, toluene was applied as a solvent to facilitate CNT dispersion in PDMS matrix and then was removed by evaporation. The resistive heating and thermal sensing properties of CNT/PDMS composite-based elements were tested and analyzed first. Then, the responses to inclination-angle were monitored and reported. Experimental results demonstrate that the inclinometer can measure dual-axis angular position in the range of 360° with high stability and repeatability.     

高通量ZSM-5填充硅橡胶复合膜渗透汽化性能研究

以硅铝比为360的ZSM-5型沸石对聚二甲基硅氧烷(PDMS)进行填充,以聚偏氟乙烯(PVSF)为支撑层,制备了ZSM-5填充PDMS/PVDF复合膜,用于渗透汽化乙醇/水混合物的分离.研究了沸石填充量、操作温度、进料液浓度对乙醇/水的渗透汽化分离性能的影响,发现该复合膜较文献报道中的沸石填充膜,其渗透通量有了明显的提高,在50℃沸石填充量为40%时,对乙醇的分离因子为11.7,其渗透通量达到749.8 g/(m2·h).随着操作温度的升高或料液中乙醇浓度升高,渗透通量增大,分离因子下降.     

Membrane extraction with a sorbent interface for headspace monitoring of aqueous samples using a cap sampling device

A cap-shaped device was employed for headspace sampling. This sampling device coupled to membrane extraction with a sorbent interface (MESI) is intended to perform on-site and on-line aqueous sample monitoring. A laboratory sampling testwas performed both at the water surface and under water, and it showed some advantages in underwater monitoring. A group of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), varying in PDMS/gas and gas/water distribution constants, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, o-xylene, and trichloroethylene (TCE), was used for the sampling study. Magnetic stirring of the sample and circulation of the headspace air with a microfan were used for the enhancement of mass transfer between sample matrix and membrane to obtain higher extraction rate and efficiency. The agitation approaches were investigated individually and compared. The results showed that simultaneous agitation in water and air could greatly improve the extraction efficiency. Good linearity and precision and low detection limits were obtained for water-surface monitoring. The study demonstrated that Cap-MESI is a useful tool for field headspace monitoring of volatile organic compounds.     

Application of a titania thin film for the discrimination between diesel fuel and heating oil

The aim of the paper is to show that chemiresistors based on the TiO₂ thin film can be used for the discrimination between diesel fuel, heating oil and their blends if coupled with a suitable measuring procedure and pattern recognition technique. The titania layer was prepared with sol-gel technique. A film response of the TiO₂ layer was measured at the temperatures of 275, 360 and 440 °C. The response of chemiresistors to fuel vapours depended on temperature of the sensitive material. The most apparent differences between oils appeared at the temperature of 360 °C. Principal Component Analysis qualitatively indicated the possibility of discrimination between oils at the sensing layer temperature of 360 °C. The actual discrimination was obtained with Linear Discriminant Analysis. It used first two principal components extracted from the measurement data collected at 360 °C as input variables. Our results indicate the possibility to develop a method of discrimination between diesel fuel and heating oil, based on measurements of electrical signals generated by the film in the presence of detected vapours.     

Selective detection of volatile aromatic compounds using a compact laser ionization detector with fast gas chromatography

We report results for a new gas chromatography detector that is comparatively sensitive and far more selective for aromatic compounds than the traditional photoionization detector. The detection means is multiphoton ionization at atmospheric pressure. The ionization source in these experiments is a diode-pumped passively Q-switched microchip laser operating at 266 nm. Experiments were conducted with the detector interfaced to a fast gas chromatograph. For <20 s elution time, limits of detection were <1 pg for toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes, and isopropylbenzene; the limit of detection for benzene is approximately 10 pg. Detector response was linear over 5 orders of magnitude, including these low levels. Negligible signals were observed for nonaromatic ketones, aldehydes, ethers, and cycloalkanes at levels as high as 0.1 microg (10 mg/L concentration). Detector efficiency after fast GC separation was 0.002% when using a detector cell with a radius of 1.1 cm and a purge gas flow of 500 mL/min. The advantages of this detector are further illustrated by the fast GC analysis of fuel samples.     

A new efficient catalyst UDCaT-1 for the alkylation of ethylbenzene with ethanol to diethylbenzene

Vapour phase alkylation of ethylbenzene with ethanol to diethylbenzene is industrially relevant. Diethylbenzene is an important raw material for the conversion to divinyl benzene monomer. Conventionally it is prepared from diacetophenone by reduction. It is also prepared by vapour-phase alkylation of ethylbenzene with ethylene using zeolites as the catalyst. The current work dealt with the alkylation of ethylbenzene with ethanol using UDCaT-1 as the catalyst, which is a synergistic combination of hexagonal mesoporous silica (HMS) and sulphate modified zirconia materials. There is no need to use absolute ethanol; dilute ethanol can also be effectively used. UDCaT-1 was found to be more active and selective in comparison with other acid catalysts used. Kinetic interpretation has been made by studying the important process parameters using UDCaT-1 as the catalyst. A complete theoretical and experimental analysis is presented. Electronic Publication     

Highly selective GaN-nanowire/TiO2-nanocluster hybrid sensors for detection of benzene and related environment pollutants

Nanowire-nanocluster hybrid chemical sensors were realized by functionalizing gallium nitride (GaN) nanowires (NWs) with titanium dioxide (TiO(2)) nanoclusters for selectively sensing benzene and other related aromatic compounds. Hybrid sensor devices were developed by fabricating two-terminal devices using individual GaN NWs followed by the deposition of TiO(2) nanoclusters using RF magnetron sputtering. The sensor fabrication process employed standard microfabrication techniques. X-ray diffraction and high-resolution analytical transmission electron microscopy using energy-dispersive x-ray and electron energy-loss spectroscopies confirmed the presence of the anatase phase in TiO(2) clusters after post-deposition anneal at 700?°C. A change of current was observed for these hybrid sensors when exposed to the vapors of aromatic compounds (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene and chlorobenzene mixed with air) under UV excitation, while they had no response to non-aromatic organic compounds such as methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, chloroform, acetone and 1,3-hexadiene. The sensitivity range for the noted aromatic compounds except chlorobenzene were from 1% down to 50 parts per billion (ppb) at room temperature. By combining the enhanced catalytic properties of the TiO(2) nanoclusters with the sensitive transduction capability of the nanowires, an ultra-sensitive and selective chemical sensing architecture is demonstrated. We have proposed a mechanism that could qualitatively explain the observed sensing behavior.     

Emission reduction on ethanol–gasoline blend using cerium oxide nanoparticles as fuel additive

In this study, the effect of ethanol–gasoline blend with cerium oxide nanoparticles as additive on a Tata Nano twin–cylinder SI engine was investigated. In this work, the combustion, performance and emission tests were conducted. The experiment fuels were prepared using 99.9% pure ethanol and gasoline with cerium oxide nanoparticles. The volumetric percentages of ethanol–gasoline blends with cerium oxide nanoparticles additive are in the ratio of E30, E40 and E50. These represent the ratios of ethanol amount in the total blend and the rest of gasoline. Additionally, 100?mg, 150?mg and 200?mg cerium oxide nanoparticles additive are mixed to E30, E40 and E50, respectively. The venture of this investigation was to reformulate the fuel to utilize the cerium oxide nanoparticles with ethanol and gasoline blend to develop the fuel’s performance and to decrease the pollution from the engine. The experimental results expose an increase in brake thermal efficiency for the nanoparticles blends. In the emission test CO, CO₂, HC and NOx are noticeably reduced, and O₂ increased for all the blends. In combustion analyses, the cylinder pressure is higher for nanoparticles blends, when compared to that of the sole fuel.     

An analysis of synergistic and antagonistic behavior during BTEX removal in batch system using response surface methodology

The removal of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene (BTEX) as quaternary mixtures were studied in batch systems using a well-defined mixed microbial culture. The synergistic and antagonistic effects of total BTEX removal (BTEXT-RE) due to the presence of mixed substrate was evaluated through experiments designed by response surface methodology (RSM). The low and high concentrations of individual BTEX were 15 and 75 mg l(-1), respectively. The results showed that, increasing the concentration of xylene increased the cumulative BTEX removal (BTEXT-RE), however the reverse occurred when benzene concentrations were increased from low to high levels. A mixed response of increasing and decreasing trend in the BTEXT-RE value was observed when either of toluene or ethylbenzene concentration was increased. When the concentrations of individual BTEX compounds were 30 mg l(-1), the BTEXT-RE was about 58%. Complete BTEXT-RE was achieved at optimal BTEX concentrations of 48.1, 45.6, 49.3 and 56.6 mg l(-1). The RSM approach was found efficient in explaining the main, squared and interaction effects among individual BTEX concentrations on the BTEXT-RE in a more statistically meaningful way.     

Sorption and permeability of gasoline hydrocarbons in organobentonite porous media

We investigate the use of organobentonites as liners for underground gasoline storage tanks to reduce the risk of subsurface contamination. A series of permeability measurements were conducted on two types of organobentonites: benzyltriethylammonium-bentonite (BTEA-bentonite) and hexadecyltrimethylammonium-bentonite (HDTMA-bentonite). Both water and commercial unleaded gasoline were used as the permeant liquids. Results of these measurements indicate that the intrinsic permeability of the organobentonite decreases by one to two orders of magnitude when the permeant liquid is changed from water to gasoline. Results of batch sorption measurements reveal that benzene sorption to both organobentonites from water is greater than benzene sorption to conventional bentonite. The magnitude of benzene sorption is related to the loading of the organic quaternary ammonium cation on the clay. As the HDTMA cation loading increases from 25% of cation exchange capacity (CEC) to 120% of CEC, benzene sorption increases. However, as the BTEA cation loading increases from 40 to 120% of CEC, benzene sorption decreases. Collectively, these results suggest that organobentonites can be used effectively to reduce hydrocarbon migration rates beneath leaking underground gasoline storage tanks, and that the optimal organic cation loading with respect to pollutant sorption may be less than 50% of cation exchange capacity for some organobentonite-solute combinations.